The contribution of vegetable production to households’ well-being in Dodoma municipality
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Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Tanzania’s horticulture sub-sector is among the priority areas for diversification of
the agricultural sector. This is mainly due to its ability to create employment and
investment opportunities hence, the possibility of increasing the agricultural sector’s
contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product. This study was conducted to
determine the contribution of vegetable production to household's well-being in
Dodoma Municipality. Specifically, the research was undertaken to determine: the
existing marketing channels of vegetable crops in the study area, the profitability of
vegetable production,
the contribution of vegetable production to households'
income and to examine how income from vegetable production has contributed to
the improvement of households’ well-being. The study adopted a cross- sectional
research design where data was collected at one point in time.
Purposive sampling
was used in the selection of wards and villages/streets while in selection of
respondents, both convenience and snowball sampling methods were used. Primary
data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), whereby
descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages and means were determined. A
logistic regression model was also used to determine how income from vegetable
production has contributed to the improvement of households 'well-being. The
results from the regression show that a farmer’s experience was significantly related
to the contribution of vegetable production towards households 'well-being. Study
results also show households’ well-being had been improved due to vegetable
production as most households were capable of meeting their educational and health
costs, food needs and ownership of assets. This proves that vegetable production hasiii
contributed to household's well-being improvement. In addition, vegetable
production was observed to be profitable in the study area thus, raising household's
income. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the government and other
development agencies locus on improving water infrastructures in the study area for
more accessibility and availability of irrigation water at all times to enable farmers
to increase their vegetable production and productivity hence further improvement
of their well-being.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Vegetable production, Households, Tanzania’s horticulture sub-sector, Tanzania’s horticulture sub-sector